2016 Handmade Bike and Beer Festival
The annual party paying tribute to two of Portland's favorite pastimes: Riding bikes and drinking beers. This year's family-friendly offering features over 30 custom builders showing off their bikes, local brewers pouring their latest concoctions, and live music, performances, and wares from local vendors.
Oct 7-8, The North Warehouse, 5pm Fri, 10am Sat, $10-20
The Wedge
First we conquered the realm of beer. Now Portland sets sights on annexing the world of cheese. The Wedge features more than 50 cheesemakers sharing their product at a farmers market-style showcase, including special bites and drinks from other vendors that go perfectly with the cheeses you're putting into your face.
Oct 1, The Green Dragon Bistro & Pub, 11am, $15-20
Nicky USA's Wild About Game
A cooking competition celebrating the flavors of wild game, with chefs from Portland facing off against Seattle's best to determine which city cooks wild game the best.
Oct 2, The Resort at the Mountain, 11:30am, $69-79
Urban Farmer Variety Showcase
An interactive mixer presented in collaboration with the Culinary Breeding Network, which sounds a lot more sinister than it really is—it's just an opportunity for farmers, chefs, and diners to get together, talk about, and eat quality vegetables.
Oct 3, Urban Farmer, 7pm, $35
Slabtown Block Party
For October's first Thursday, 17th Street gets turned into a showcase for the best of the Slabtown neighborhood, with vendors setting up shop amidst local musicians throwing down next to a mini beer and wine fest.
Oct 6, NW 17th & NW Overton, 5pm
Pizza Party for Friends of Family Farmers
A benefit dinner (with a discount for farmers) to help fund the FOFF Urban Outreach Program, with a silent auction featuring donations from Patagonia, Breitenbush Hot Springs, Duck Pond Cellars, and more.
Oct 7, Lagunitas Brewing Community Room, 5:30pm, $15-20
2016 Apple Tasting
For the 29th straight year, Portland Nursery invites the city to sample and celebrate the abundance of tasty apples and pears in the region, with over 60 varieties to choose from, as well as fresh-pressed cider demonstrations and tastings, and kid-friendly activities for the little ones.
Oct 7-9, Portland Nursery, 10am, free, all ages
Widmer Brothers Oktoberfest
For the 12th straight year the Widmers take over Pioneer Courthouse Square with their Oktoberfest extravaganza, transforming the city's living room into a celebration not just of the season, but of beer itself, with their regular lineup as well as a bunch of special small-batch beers only available at the fest. With live music provided by X Ambassadors, Tango Alpha Tango, Quiet Type, and more.
Oct 8, Pioneer Courthouse Square, noon, $25-75, all ages
Peche Fest
The fourth annual celebration of the peach, and all the wonderful ways you can make it into something that will get you drunk, featuring over 25 beers and ciders from some of the country's best brewers.
Oct 8, Saraveza, 3pm, $10-25
PDX City of Cider
A two-day celebration of the country's best ciders, beers, wines, and distilled spirits, as well as foods prepared specially for pairing with those libations, with live music underscoring the event. Proceeds benefit the Muscular Dystrophy Association.
Oct 14-15, Portland Expo Center, 4pm Fri, noon Sat, $12
Organic Ramen Pop-Up
Umi Organic and Broth Bar team up for a first-come-first-served fall pop-up series, pairing bone broths by Salt Fire & Time's Tressa Yellig with Umi co-founder Lola Millholland's noodle expertise to create original ramen flavors making good use of the Pacific Northwest's bounty of local produce and vegetables.
Oct 14, Broth Bar, 7pm
Killer Pumpkin Fest 2016
A one-day mini-beerfest focused on the wonderfulness of taking pumpkins and turning them into beers, with Rogue providing a whole bunch of actual pumpkins to bowl, decorate, carve, and/or smash, and the Green Dragon kitchen providing a special pumpkin menu to pair with the over 40 pumpkin ales to sample. Also featuring costume contests for kids, grown-ups, and even your dogs. Proceeds benefit Camp Ukandu.
Oct 15, Green Dragon Bistro & Brewpub, 11am, $5, all ages
Harvest Feast Celebration
Artigiano closes their seventh season with a giant-sized 12-course meal highlighting their favorite Italian dishes paired with their favorite wines from all regions.
Oct 15, Artigiano, 6pm, $45-75
Portland's Original Iron Chef
LifeWorks NW presents this culinary competition seeking to crown Portland's best chefs, with contestants including Aaron Barnett of St. Jack, Chris Starkus of Urban Farmer, Joseph Maddocks of Swank, returning champion Jin Soo Yang of Bamboo Sushi, and more. Proceeds from the event help support LifeWorks NW's children's relief nurseries.
Oct 20, Portland Art Museum, 5:30pm, $125
Snowvana
Mt Hood Skibowl, Timberline, Mt Hood Meadows, and Mt Bachelor are coming together (having a summit, if you will, eh? EH??) to throw this weekend-long celebration of all the things that make winter fun, including a film festival dedicated to skiing and snowboarding films, a beer festival dedicated to some of the Northwest's finest brewers of winter ales, and vendors selling some of the best winter apparel and sporting gear. With musical performances from the Dandy Warhols, the Federal Empire, Michelle DeCourcy & the Rocktarts, and Robert Wynia.
Oct 21-22, Rose Quarter Memorial Coliseum, 3pm Fri, 10am Sat, $5-8